To celebrate Red Squirrel Week, a national week dedicated to everything red and squirrelly which runs from Saturday 2 to Sunday 10 October 2010, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) in the North East, a project led by the Scottish Wildlife Trust in partnership with Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland, and the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association, is running various events across Grampian. All events are free and open to everyone.
Beginning on Saturday 2 October, the events programme kicks off with a red squirrel walk at Haddo estate. On Sunday 3 October, a Red Squirrel Walk in Windyhills Woods, including a community soup and sweet lunch, is set to take place. And, as the week continues, locals can learn all about Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels at a Squirrel Survey Workshop on Wednesday 6 October at the University of Aberdeen, visit an information stand at Spittal of Glen Muick on Saturday 9 October, or enjoy a Red Squirrel fun day at Braeloine Visitor Centre, Glen Tanar on Sunday 10 October.
Hollie Walker, Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels Project Officer for the North East said: “The Scottish public has always taken the red squirrel to their hearts. We hope that with Red Squirrel Week just around the corner, people right across the country will come together to have fun, learn more about the subject, and ultimately show their support for this vital and worthwhile cause.
“There is so much going on across the region so to get involved simply visit www.scottishsquirrels.org.uk for more information on the events and how to book your place.”
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ADDITIONAL EVENT INFORMATION
• Event Title: Red Squirrel Walk in Haddo Estate. Date and time: 14:00 to 15:00 on Saturday 2 October 2010. Location: meet us in the car park at Haddo Country Park, Tarves, Ellon. Event details: Celebrate Red Squirrel Week by taking a stroll with the local ranger, Haddo Estate’s Assistant Factor and Bob Davis to see and learn more about our resident reds. Price: Free. Booking: Contact the Formartine Ranger on 01358 726417 or 07786021780
• Event Title: Red Squirrel Walk in Windyhills Woods, with a community soup and sweet lunch! Date and time: 12:00 to 15:00 on Sunday 3 October 2010. Location: Meet us at the Woodhead Community Centre. Event details: Celebrate Red Squirrel Week by taking a stroll with the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrel’s Project Officer Hollie Walker to see and learn more about our resident reds. Price: Free. Booking: Contact Hollie Walker, the SSRS project officer for the north east on redsquirrelgrampian@swt.org.uk or 01224266526, or contact Helen Taylor on helenwindyhills@btinternet.com or 01651 891223.
• Event Title: NESBReC Squirrel Survey Workshop. Date and time: 10:00 to 13:00 on Wednesday 6 October 2010. Location: University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Room ZB19, Aberdeen. Event details: The workshop will cover an SSRS project outline and red squirrel status presentation, and practical survey techniques in Seaton Park. Price: Free. Booking: To book a place please contact NESBReC at glenn.roberts@aberdeenshire.gov.uk . Additional information: Please bring lunch and suitable outdoors, binoculars could be helpful.
• Event Title: See us at Spittal of Glen Muick. Date and time: 09:00 to 14:00 on Saturday 9 October 2010. Location: Glen Muick Visitor Centre, Balmoral. Event details: Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels North East Project Officer Hollie Walker will be hosting an information stand. Come along and chat about squirrels and find out more about the project and how you can get involved.. Price: Free. Booking: No booking necessary
• Event Title: Red Squirrel day at Glen Tanar. Date and time: 10:00 to 15:00 on Sunday 10 October 2010. Location: Glen Tanar Visitor Centre, Braeloine. Event details: Glen Tanar Charitable Trust Ranger Service will be hosting a Red Squirrel fun day, in partnership with the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) project team. Come along to chat with the team and learn about squirrels and how this project is working hard to try and protect them. There will be an information stall at the Braeloine Visitor Centre and red squirrel woodland walks throughout the day starting at 10:30 am, as well as fun activities and the chance for kids to meet Mr Squirrel, a giant red squirrel who likes nothing more than a big cuddle. Price: Free. Booking: No booking necessary
Notes to Editors
• Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels aims to stop the decline of red squirrel populations in key areas of Scotland north of the Central Belt and to improve conditions for viable red squirrel populations across Scotland. It is a partnership project between the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission Scotland and the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association. It is part of Scotland's Species Action Framework, which sets out a strategic approach to species management in Scotland. For more information, visit www.swt.org.uk.
• The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) is a registered charity. It is the largest voluntary body working for all the wildlife of Scotland, representing more than 34,000 members who care for wildlife and the environment. SWT seeks to raise public awareness of threatened habitats and species and manages over 120 wildlife reserves Scotland-wide. www.swt.org.uk
• Scottish Natural Heritage is the Scottish Government's statutory advisor on conserving, enhancing, enjoying, understanding and sustainably using natural heritage. For more information on SNH, see www.snh.gov.uk.
• Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) serves as the forestry directorate of the Scottish Government, advising on and implementing forestry policy and managing the national forest estate. FCS is ensuring that the national forest estate plays its part in delivering the aims of project Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels.
• The Scottish Rural Property and Business Association (SRPBA) is the leading representative body for all land and rural property owners and land-based businesses in Scotland. It is a membership organisation comprising rural entrepreneurs, individuals and businesses that operate in rural Scotland. www.srpba.com
• In addition to financial support from the project partners, the SSRS project has received funding from a range of sources including the Albert George and Nancy Caroline Youngman Trust, Dulverton Trust, Englefield Charitable Trust, HDH Wills 1965 Charitable Trust, Lascelles Charitable Trust, Martin Connell Charitable Trust, Mitchell Trust, People’s Postcode Lottery, Robert O Curle Charitable Trust, Talteg Ltd and the Tennant Southpark Charitable Trust
• The work of SSRS in the North East has been specifically funded by Aberdeen Greenspace, Biffaward, Rural Aberdeenshire LEADER, and the Red Squirrel Survival Trust.
• Aberdeen Greenspace Trust Limited works with individuals, communities, businesses and organisations in and around the city of Aberdeen to develop access, increase biodiversity, carry out landscape improvements and provide information and interpretation. The trust is supported by Aberdeen City Council, Forestry Commission Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage, all of whom nominate Directors to the trust. The company is enrolled as an Environmental Body with ENTRUST (Environmental Trust Scheme Regulatory Body), the government’s Landfill Community Fund Regulator.
• In 1997 Biffa Waste Services agreed to donate landfill tax credits to the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts (RSWT) to administer under the fund name Biffaward. Grants made from the fund currently amount to £100 million, supporting many worthwhile projects. Biffa Waste Services Limited is one of the largest single suppliers of waste management services in the UK. It collects, treats, recovers and disposes of municipal, commercial and industrial waste nationwide. It is ultimately owned by a private equity consortium comprising Montagu Private Equity, Global Infrastructure Partners, Uberior Co-Investments Limited and other co-investors www.biffaward.org
• LEADER is an innovative rural development programme which aims to improve the quality of life and economic prosperity in rural communities through locally driven rural development initiatives and projects. In Aberdeenshire, LEADER is delivered by the Rural Aberdeenshire LAG to rural areas and communities with populations of up to 5,000. The Rural Aberdeenshire LAG is a Public/Private partnership comprising fourteen member organisations and focuses on two key themes, namely Revitalising Communities and Progressive Rural Economy.
• The Red Squirrel Survival Trust (RSST), whose Patron is HRH The Prince of Wales, is a UK charity established to ensure the conservation and protection of the red squirrel in the UK. RSST works in partnership with dedicated and knowledgeable local groups and projects around the country. RSST is providing support to the North East component of the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) project. This is part of RSST’s wider scheme to protect the red squirrels of Scotland – RSST also supports RSSS.
• Red Squirrels in South Scotland Project (RSSS) is the sister project to SSRS working to stem the spread of pox carrying grey squirrels in south Scotland for the protection of red squirrels. Squirrelpox is a virus fatal to red squirrels but harmless to the grey squirrels which carry and spread it. Grey squirrels migrating north from Cumbria are bringing squirrelpox to Scotland. The work of RSSS is therefore essential to Scotland’s red squirrel population as a whole and to maintain southern Scotland as a stronghold for our native red. RSSS has been conducting and promoting grey squirrel control since 2000. www.redsquirrels.org.uk.
• Grampian Squirrel Group has existed for about 9 years in various forms and throughout that time has been working to help protect the red squirrel in Grampian from its grey cousin and envirommental degradation. It consists of a dedicated group of volunteers who have been helping to promote the red squirrels plight and to recruit like minded people to conduct formal surveys in red habitat. www.grampiansquirrelgroup.co.uk.